Horses are Herbivores (what’s in your feed?)
Horses are herbivores, aren’t they? So why are we feeding products and supplements which go against the Law of Nature? Horses are pure herbivores – their bodies are designed to eat plant material only. The herbivore species have flat grinding teeth and a very long digestive system specifically designed to break down tough cellulose fibre in plants. Horses have jaws which move sideways enabling grinding of plant material in the oral cavity – digestion begins here. Once the food is reduced in size and thoroughly mixed with saliva it’s swallowed, travels down the oesophagus into the stomach. Horses are ill equipped to cope with the
Crofton Weed kills Horses
Crofton weed - ( Ageratina adenophora) is beating the cane toads in it’s march south down the East Coast of Australia. It’s also now prevalent in all other states of Australia. This plant, a native of Mexico, loves conditions in Australia and like the cane toad it has no natural predators here. Biological controls have had limited success to date and funding for research is minimal. Crofton weed is an erect, multi stemmed perennial plant which grows to 150cm in height. It’s extremely hardly, it layers itself and will sprout from any tiny piece of root left in the ground. It relishes poor soil
Cranky Frankie – the Horse that Wouldn’t Go
Frankie was the kind of horse you come across fairly regularly. Nappy, cranky, lackluster and unwilling to go forward. When Karen contacted me she had owned Frankie, a 9 year old Quarterhorse gelding, for 2 years. She bought him from a woman who had owned him for 3 years, who in turn had bought him from a stock station for her daughter to ride. The daughter quickly lost interest so Frankie had been turned out onto large scrubby, drought affected land with some cattle. Karen was interested in Frankie as he was quite well bred and she wanted to campdraft him. Karen told me that